The Portland daily press., 1887-12-27
TIE HOLIDAYS.
Holly, MistIetoe and Laurel for Dec
orations.

The winter holidays are at hand The
keen pure air sets the blood bounding
through the veins and peculiar animation
and good-naturedness, that is only felt as
Christmas approaches, is shared to greater
or less extent by all. 1t is happy season.
A throng Of blthe shoppers, intent on the
purchase of gifts for loved ones, fill the busy
streets, and beautiful are the displays in the
shop windows. In the florists windows and
on the benches of the street vendors may be
seen lunches of holly, mistletoe and
laurel which are at this season of the year,
in great demand for Christmas decorations,
especially for churches. Holly was used for
church decorations by the early Christians
of Rome and is still in Europe, and is fast
becoming in America, the favorite evergreen
for that purpose. In favorable climate
holly attains height of 20 or 40 feet, but as
seen at the north it is a low tree. The Amer
lean holly, which differs from the European
in as much as 1t is much more hardy, with
leaves less glossy, less conspicuous spines,
berries of paler scarlet, and nutlets
more family veined, is found along the At
lantic coast from Maine southwark, it being
ESPECIALLY III Slulds nC uoOo
of our species are the same as those of the
European holly which has long been ia
vorite in Great Britain, where, like our ce-
dar, it is grown for hedges or for ornamen.
tai trees.
This plant, which is especially abundant
in the north of Europe but is not hardy in
the northern portion or even in the north of
Scotland, is very long lived, some specimens
having been estimated to be more than 1000
years old. Some varieties are among the
finest ornamental plants, having foliage
beautifully margined or blotched with pure
white or yellow. The wood of the holly is
remarkably white and fine grained, and is
largely used for ornamental work. 1t re-
ceives dyes readily and much of what passes
for ebony is holly dyed black.
The mistetoe, a parasitic evergreen shrub
grown in Europe from Sweden to the Med
ieterranean, northern England and in this
country in the south, especially in Virginia.
The American mistletoe has the same man
ner Of growth, and is similar in general APP
pearance to the European, but the leaves and
stem are of more yellowish green, and the
berries are white. 1t grows upon great
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It especially affects the apple tree to which it
is very destructive, and when once establish
ed it continues to grow as long as there is
any life in the tree upon which it feeds. An
instance is recorded of the rowth of one
specimen upon another mistletoe. In En-
gland it is much used for Christmas decora-
lions and, during the festivities, if gen.
tleman discovers lady beneath the thistle :
toe bough" he has right to a kiss; this is
a very old custom which has descended from
feudal times, but its real origin and signifi-
canoe are lost. Strange and numer-
GUS are the legends and superstitions
connected with this peculiar plant Re-
garded by some in early times as charm to
protect from disease and every other evil;
held in high veneration by the ancient
Britons and by the druids its collection was
accompanied with great solemnity. 1t is not
to be wondered at that each year, at Christ
mas, a spray of the mistletoe, to which so
many quaint legends are attached, finds its
way to many a home in which it is highly
priced and carefully preserved.
The true or noble laurel is native of
Southern Europe, where it sometimes grows
character by throwing up stems from the
base. 1t is hardy in favorable situations in
England and in the southern States of our
own country. An emblem of victory; held
sacred by Apollo; woven into crowns of
honor for successful poets and students; the
the accepted crown of the knights Of the
round table; having thus been used and
thus regarded, besides being beautiful in
itself, it is no wonder that the laurel is
fayorite evergreen for decorations.
1t is of little use except as a decorative
plant, but having long been an emblem of
victery and crown for the poets and heroes
of old, it is highly priced for that purpose.
The sale of these eyergreens, for Christ
mas decorations, in this city has Increased
from year to year, and this season it has
been larger than ever before. Wreaths Of
fir, ON account of their fragrance, have
been more largely used this season than ever
for church decorations, and they are fast
taking the place of the evergreen" wreaths
that were once so popular